When building a home in Abilene, Kansas in 1905 Dr. and Mrs. Seelye wanted a “show house” and she got it right down to the electric by Thomas Edison. The piano, was direct from Steinway and why yes that is a Tiffany-designed fireplace in the grand hall.
Shopping to fill the 25 rooms, including 11 bedrooms was an undertaking. Mrs. Seelye did not lower herself to shop with the common folk at Macy’s or Gimbals; she shopped the entire mansion at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The house cost $55,000 and the interior was furnished for a mere $60,000.
